Thinking of moving? Pop to the pub
Two businesses hit by the recession, estate agents and the pub trade, are joining forces to get people house-hunting again. The venue – The Unthank; the idea – free expert advice on moving house over a cup of coffee.
The founder of one of the UK’s only online estate agents, House Revolution , is used to shaking things up. The local web-based business Chris Sargisson set up five years ago is a step away from traditional high street estate agents. His philosophy is that moving house doesn’t have to cost the earth and doesn’t have to be commission based.
He’s approached a Golden Triangle pub to provide the venue for “House Moving Surgeries”, where four experts will offer free independent advice on everything from mortgages to HIPs. He says: “It’s about finding innovative and clever ways of making people aware of what we’re doing, without putting our costs up.”
Nick De’Ath, who runs The Unthank Arms on Newmarket Street says: “It’s a more relaxing way of house hunting than heading into town to an estate agents. If you’ve got any questions, it’s a good place to get independent advice, over a cup of coffee.” If the idea takes off, the Saturday morning surgeries could become a regular event. During an economic downturn, Nick De’Ath adds: “It’s a case of focusing on what your customers want, and thinking about how you can use the space you’ve got.”
Five thousand homes in south Norwich have been leafleted, but they’ve no idea how many people will turn up to the first session this Saturday. Chris Sargisson says: “We could end up with a queue of people around the corner, or it might be one man and his dog. It’s an experiment but it’ll be interesting to see what sort of response we get.”
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